The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh: A Society of Gentlemen Short Story Kindle Edition

I read this series a bit out of order, but I was really happy I went back to read this short story. Lord Ash appears throughout the series and he's known for his good heart, but not always for his sound judgment. In this story, he is provoked into gambling and he winds up losing his home and entire wealth to Francis Webster. Francis is amenable to discussing the situation. Both men have been attracted to each other, but in an era where tipping your hand into those desires could mean death, each was careful. This story is a nice addition to the entire series and it's highly recommended to read it, too.

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.Rating: 5/10PROS:- K.J. Charles writes period romances well. She always manages to keep the language contemporary to the characters’ historical timeframe, and she comes up with a variety of ways of isolating her male protagonists so that they may be alone in romantic settings.- The two men here appear in all of the earlier Society of Gentlemen stories, and I enjoyed seeing a bit more about them. (Emphasis on the “bit” here… see Cons below also.)CONS:- Francis has been one of the most intriguing characters to me throughout the entire series, and I was very disappointed not to get more from him: more dialogue, more background, more of his motivations. We don’t even get to see any scenes from his perspective, so we see absolutely none of his thoughts regarding the long-standing desire he’s had for Gabriel.- In spite of the author’s excellent command of the language—which she uses quite adequately to get her point across (in passages such as this: “Mal went away eventually, after telling Ash to go to the devil, recommending that he take himself there forthwith”)— there’s a great deal more “telling” in this story than I have seen from her before. I’d much rather have seen this go-to-the-devil conversation play out, for instance, than just heard about it in passing.Overall comments: Francis is described in this story as “[u]nfriendly to his intimates, icy to strangers… A chilly, bloodless, callous fellow.” I was so looking forward to seeing this guy melt in front of me, and instead I saw… a sex scene. It wasn’t a bad one, I suppose. But the story wasn’t near as good as the novel-length volumes in the series.

A very fun short read about two characters introduced in A Fashionable Indulgence, Gabriel Ashleigh and Francis Webster. While it doesn't delve into the issues AFI does, it gives the back story of Gabriel and Francis, which is nice to have. It's not necessary to have read AFI-- it helps some, but I think reading this first would add insight when reading AFI.I love the attention paid to detail about Regency period--the men were _all_ about fashion, and KJ Charles knows what she's talking about. Some might think that there's too much detail, but that's really what the period was about--an excess on behalf of the gentry that exacerbated the divide between the landed gentlemen and the working class (hm, sound familiar?). The detail is all important, because that's what they lived and breathed. Cuts to one's wardrobe were taken seriously. It's like Mean Girls, only it's Mean Guys. And I think it's fascinating that the men were just as obsessed about their clothes as women were always portrayed to be. It's a wonderful insight, and very artfully done. A Fashionable Indulgence shows this in greater depth, so if you've tried this first, and liked it, you'll love AFI!

WOW!!!! This is not the typical book I normally read and before now had never heard of this author. I came across it by accident and was intrigued by the description. I really didn't think I would like the book as it is so out of my "norm" but I have to say I found the entire book fascinating. I love the way the author started the book out .... the author immediately made me curious about the main character and later after finally starting to read about the other main character more curious. I loved the way the author kept you in suspense as to how the whole story was going to play out. Would love for this author to do more books on this similar line ..... young, innocent gentleman confronted by gentleman more worldly and with a little danger to him. Would definitely read that book. I want to thank the author for allowing me the chance to read a different kind of book from my "norm" and finding it so great a read. (Wish this book came in paperback or hardback)

I've read this twice now, and had two different reactions to it.The first time I read The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh (back in October 2015, right after it was published), it served as my introduction to the Society of Gentlemen series, and in that light it wasn't particularly memorable; it didn't grab my attention, nor did it make me want to read the rest of the series. I love K. J. Charles, though, so when I'd read my way through the rest of her oeuvre, I started in on the Society of Gentlemen novels, and my interest in and curiosity about the origins of Ash and Francis's relationship was sparked by A Fashionable Indulgence.Re-reading this story with a more in-depth knowledge of (and affection for) the Ricardians made all the difference in the world, and I found myself really enjoying the additional context and subtle character notes that it added to the series as a whole. It's a lovely backstory piece for readers already familiar with the world of the Society of Gentlemen novels.

You can always trust KJ Charles to write a strong story with powerful character emotions and some spicy love. This was very short though, so the price seems high.

I really liked this short story and now am interested to continue with the series. Beautifully written.

Short and hot!

This is a short but sexy read, told entirely from Ash’s viewpoint (3rd person), as he takes on the darkly brooding Francis at a game of cards. I’d already read the first full book of the Society of Gentlemen series (A Fashionable Indulgence), so I already knew a little about these characters before I began. You don't need to have read anything of this series first, though, in order to thoroughly enjoy this one.Ash is a well born, sweet but ultimately rather bumbling and foolish young man who doesn’t really fit in with his family. His oldest brother is awful, but Ash has looked up to him all his life, which is why he’s always been rather mean to Francis. He doesn’t particularly intend to be, but since Francis seems to despise him for having a horrible older brother, Ash doesn’t quite know what to do. Which is how he allowed himself to be goaded into losing so much money and is now willing to face Francis in a reckless attempt to win it all back.We don’t get to see any of Francis’ thought process throughout this quick read, but it’s clear there’s an intense attraction between the two of them. Francis is all brooding and control while Ash is young and reckless and a tiny bit desperate. I was a little worried Francis would take advantage – but for all his foolishness, Ash is capable of protecting himself if he needs to. So instead the overall feeling of this book isn’t desperation and exploitation, but steady seduction – although just who is seducing whom is open to question.In all, this is a sizzling start to this excellent series. True, it is over too soon and I would have loved to have had more about these two, but if you’re looking for something short, hot and historical, this is well worth your time.

This short stories sets the scene admirably for the Society of Gentlemen series . The Author gets it so right! and creates a Landscape that we might like to know , join and love if we could be friends with the right people.

This is my first KJ Charles Regency and , while it's short, it perfectly captures the essence of the period and the rakish men who inhabited that wonderfully decadent period in British history.Ash and Francis were a delightful introduction to this world, a young wastrel caught out by an older man who'd suffered at the hands of his bullying older brother. They came together in a tease of passion and I'd love to read more of this pairing.